Luxury Hotels: Stein Eriksen is a Norwegian-born Olympic alpine skiing champion of the 1950s. He was the first skier from outside the Alps to win an alpine gold medal. Eriksen is credited with creating the freestyle skiing event "aerials," and helping revolutionize alpine skiing. Here in the States, he was an instructor at several ski schools, from Sugarbush in Vermont, to Aspen, Colorado. On December 11, Eriksen will be 83. He founded, and hosts Stein Eriksen Lodge, the only five-diamond, five-star hotel in Utah. Service here is top flight, and amenities abound.

Perched above the Wasatch Mountains, the Stein Eriksen Lodge is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Nearby Deer Valley Resort offers some of the world's most popular ski slopes. The closest town, Park City, was a mining town, made more recently famous by the Sundance Film Festival.

The Old West meets Hollywood in Park City, a short drive from the Stein Eriksen. Take a step back in time inside the Park City Museum on Main Street. Wasatch Brew Pub at 250 Main conjures images of the silver rush, and serves up microbrew and gourmet whiskey. The Spur, at 352 Main, is the place for lively music. The 19th century style downtown boasts shops, boutiques, souvenirs, and tasty lunch choices. Stroll the drag and imagine the hustle and bustle of Sundance (think HBO's "Entourage").

The Lodge's 20,000-square-foot Norwegian-style spa has a diverse menu, including healing wraps, pedicures and the deep massages to soothe muscles worn from skiing or golf. The Après Ski Muscle Strain Therapy and Soak. Glitretind Restaurant is excellent, from savory breakfast on its wooden deck, to luxurious lodge dining indoors. For dinner, sample the Charred Kobe Beef Tartare, and top off your evening with a carrot cupcake with pineapple sherbert, or 12-layer chocolate cake with vanilla gelato.

The Stein Erisken's 175 guestrooms and suites feature private, jetted bathtubs, plush robes, and humidifiers. Though decors are all distinct, the common denominator is the picturesque view of the Wasatch range. Luxury suites are appointed with kitchens, stone fireplaces, master bedrooms, and larger jetted bathtubs. Busy guests will find the business center near the main lobby convenient.

Deer Valley is a sports destination, events were held here during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Health buffs will enjoy the Lodge's fitness center and outdoor pool. This is by no means a purely winter attraction, as golfers, swimmers, and those who prefer horseback riding will discover.Each August, Park City hosts its Arts Festival, the largest in the West. If you visit during that time, be sure to check out the Deer Valley Music Festival, which provides classical, opera, pop, and chamber music in venues from Snow Park Ampitheater, a church, a local synagogue, to private homes. Last year's "pop" headliner was Randy Travis.

From skiing with the stars, to sweet sounds under starry summer nights, Park City and Deer Valley glitter all year 'round, and the Stein Eriksen Lodge is an ideal activity base.

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Bijan Bayne

Bijan C. Bayne is an award-winning Washington-based freelance writer, and author of Sky Kings: Black Pioneers of Professional Basketball, which was named to the Suggested Reading List of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. The book is also cited in Booktalks Plus: Motivating Teens to Read by Lucy Schall. In July 2002, Bayne, who speaks Spanish, won the Robert Peterson Research Award for his pre...(Read More)